I first met Sheila Dikshit ji almost 25 years ago, when she had come to Mumbai. This was even before she was the Chief Minister of Delhi. As she was a good friend of my father, Murli Deora, she had come over to our home for a meal. I was a young student in the US, and had come down for holidays at the time. While we met only briefly, she came across as a kind and warm person. She was very unlike the typical politician; she was engaging in conversations with me, asking what I was studying and what I aspire to do. She was obviously extremely knowledgeable, well-read and well-spoken, which was quite refreshing.

In 2004, when I got elected as the Member of Parliament (MP), her son Sandeep became a good friend. She was already the Chief Minister of Delhi at the time and we would meet often. She would host us at her home, and was always taking care of everyone. "Beta kuch khao, you have to eat more," she would go on like this, making me feel like I was with my grandmother, but in Delhi. Interestingly, this is also how she was with her constituents; as a family member.